Alonzo dtjrkee



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO DURKEE, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MOSES HARRIS, OF SAME PLACE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,846, dated January 3, 1882. Application filed May 12, 18 81. (No model.) I

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALolvzo DURKEE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have inpipesof the instrument, whereby said reeds or pipes are made to produce musical sounds.

In certain mechanical musical instruments of this character the perforated sheets or strips 2 are made to control the action of the valves or keys by means of a series of jacks, levers, or key-movie g fingers arranged on one side of said strip or sheet to operate through the perforations of such strip or sheet upon a series of z 5 push-pins or lrey-movin g rods arranged on the opposite side of said strip or sheet; but th s combination of devices is lacking'in an essential element, which would greatly enhance its value by making it operate with invariable ac- 0- curacy. It is found if the perforated sheet or strip from any cause fail to run truly, or it the jacks or levers have any lateral movement whatever, that the noses of the said jacks will not fall through the perforations in the said strip or sheet, but will, on the contrary, in such contingencies remain resting on the said strip as it passes beneath them, and thereby fail to.

move the push-pins to operate the valves,vor, if they do pass through said perforations, will 40 fail to fall upon the heads of the push-pins.

This invention consists in combining with the said jacks or levers and push-pins or keymoving rods a laterall y-movin g perforated block or bar, that holds the upper ends of the push-pins in its perforations and at the same time embraces the edges of the perforated sheet or strip, so that when the said sheet or strip moves laterally the said block or bar will move synchronously with it, holding the puslrpins in their proper relative positions with the perforations in said strip or sheet; and the invention further consists, in combination, with the pressure-chamber and the sound-producin g de vices, of novel bellows-valves arranged to close by expansion from inward spring and air pressure against the sound-board bar, and thus shut off the air from the sounding pipes or reeds, and to open the air-passages to them by collapse undcr exterior air-pressure; and it'consists, further, in combination, with said pressare-chamber and bellows valves or pallets, ot' double-action disk-valves, that determine or regulate the communication between the pressure-chamber and the interior of the bellows valves or pallets and between said bellows valves or pallets and the open air, said disle valves being operated by suitable levers.

Figure 1 is a partly-sectional front elevation, showing my improvements applied to a pipeorgan, on line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation ofthe organ on line y y, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional side elevation on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a partial sectional plan view on line a w, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate come sponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the soundingboard, from which projects at right angles the fixed rail A, through which are vertical tubes or perforations a, in which the push-pins B move up and down. In the top of this rail A is a groove or mortise, b, in which is fitted the bar or block 0, so that it can easily slide laterally. Into the perforations c in the said sliding block 0 the heads of the push-pins B are entered so that they may move with the said moving block 0. The raised edges 0 on the ends ofthc block 0 are far enough apart to admit between them the perforated music sheet or strip D, which rests upon and is do 0 signed to be drawn over the face of the said block 0, being rolled upon one drum 1) and from the other drum 1) in the ordinary manner. The width of said strip or sheet D is so nearly the same as the distance between the 5 block-edges c that if said sheet or strip ll, in passing over the said block 0, deviates laterally in the slightest degree itwill movesaid the strip or sheet D,

, between guide-pins s, which levers F levers E E are provided with block 0 with it, and consequently the heads of the push-pins B, so that the perforations c in the block 0 and the push -pins B will always bepreserved in thesame relative positions with the perforations in thestrip or sheet 1).

E E are'jaelrs, levers, or k y-moving fingers, the rear ends of which are pivoted, as shown at d, in a vertically-moving frame, E, that swings on a pin, (1, extending from the sounding-board A. The front ends of thesejaolis or downwardly-projecting nosesf, that are designed to rest on directly over the perfora- O, so that as said strip or sheet D is moved along the noses f of said jacks or levers E fall by their own gravity through the perforations in said sheet or strip D upon the tops of the push pins l3, and cause the latter to operate to open the valves that regulate the admission devices. To cause these jacks'or levers E E to also preserve a constant relative position to the perforations in the perforated music-strip D and to the push-pins B, the box or frame E, in which the said jacks 'or levers E E are piv, oted, is provided on either side with downwa 'dprojeeting ears f. whose inner surfaceswhen the said frame E is down in position shown in Fig. 1, are in contact with theedges of said music-strip I), so that the jacks or levers E and frame E, as well as the sliding block (J and tops of the push-pins B, are moved laterally by and with the said strip D, and hence always preserve the same relative positions with each other laterally, so that the correct and effective action of each one of the parts is assured. the sounding-boardA, limits the downward movement of the frame E.

When the instrument is in operation as a simply mechanical instrument the falling of the jacks or levers E upon the push-pins B causes the latter in their turn to depress the levers F, that are pivoted .on a post, F, and are held in equilibrium by springs F moving operate through their connecting-pins g .to move the levers G in turn, which, through their connecting-pins h, permit the levers H, which are at tions 0 of the block taehed to the bottom of thepressure-chamber- K, to fall, which movement of the levers H allows the double-action disk-valves Ito fall and close the-upper ends of the tubes J, thatconnect the interior of the pressure-chamber K with the outer air and open the lower ends of said tubes J, whereby the'air-pressure from the chamber K into the bellows valve L is cut off and the air from said bellows-valve L permitted to escape into the open air through the passage L and tube J, while the pressure in the chamber it presses upon the ribs of the bellows-valve L and collapses it, which has the effect of drawingdown the bellows-valve top board, 2', and thereby allowing the wind-pressure in the chamber K to pass through the. tubes N into the organ-pipes 0 and cause them ofair to the sounding A stud,f projecting from which is perforation in the music pallet, L, consists of a small bellows formed with top and bottom boardsyik, connected with each other by flexible leather ribs Z. The upper side of the top board, 2', is covered with soft leather and forms the valve, which seats close against the under side of the sound-board bar P,anditis kept in this position, when at rest, by a spring, m, ,which pushes upward from the fixed bottom board, It. The back or tail end of the bottom board, Ir, is hollow, as shown at 76', and is fitted into a mortise, k in'the wind-bar P, through which a channel or passage, L, is continued to the pressure-chamber K through the communicating tube J. Thefront'endot the bottom board, k, is fixed sufficiently below the top board, i, to permit the distention 'ot' the bellows valve L nearly-or quite to its toll extent. The position of the double disk-valve I determines the communication between the interior of the valve L and the pressure-chamber K and the outside air. In a. position of rest the top disk, n, is open, so that the compressed air from the chamber K is inside of as well as around the valve L, and of course by its pressure holds the top board,i, firmly against the sound-board barP. When in his position thelower disk,

o, is closed and prevents the escape of the compressed air. If the position of this diskvalve 1 is reversed by the lowering of a lever, H, the compressed air is at once stopped from entering the interior of the valve L, and the pressure on the outside of said valve L collapses it, with the efl'eets hereinbefore set forth, the air from the interior of said valve L escaping through the channel L thence into the outer air.

The pressure-chamber K is supplied with air under pressure from an airreeeiver or regulator, Q, that is actuated by spring t, and receives air from a forcepump provided with suitable ports and valves, 1!, the air from said receiver Q passing througha wind-trunlg-Q, through the sounding-board A, into said chamber K. Ahorizontal bar, A limits the expansionot the said receiver Q.

When it is desired to manually operate the instrument the music sheet or stripD and the jacks 0r levers E E are removed or elevated, so as not to affect-the movement of the pushpius B B, and thc keys S, which are ordinary organ-keys fixed with their inner ends in contact, with the outer ends of the levers G, are manipulated in the usual manner with organ- 'keys.

Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t-- 1. In a wind musical instrument, the combior bellows,

passed ajaclr or lever, E,

into a-tube, J,,and V Ilu R, extending from the sounding-board parted to the said push-pins, as set forth.

2. In a wind musical instrument, the conibination, with aperforatedmusic sheet or'strip arranged between jacks, levers, or key-moving rods on one side and push-pins on the other side, ofalaterally-movable box or frameholding said levers, jacks, or rods and embracing the edgesof said sheet or strip, substantially 'as herein shown and described, whereby the relative lateral positions of said jacks or rods and music-,sheet-are preserved, as set forth.

3. In a musical instrument adapted to be played by means of a moving perforated music sheet, which controls the operation of valves to its reeds,'pipes-, or other sounding devices,

the combination, with the jacks or ,levers E, pivoted in pivotedframe'E, of the movable perforated block G,push-pins B, and connected levers and wind-regulating valve F, G, H, and- I, respectively, substantially as herein shown and described."

4. In a. Wind musical instrument, the combination, with the air-pressure chamber K, es-

cape-tubes J, air-passages L, and pipe-connect ing' tubes N, of the bellows valve or pallet L, having a spring, m, and arranged within said pressure-ehamber against the mouth of the tubes N, substantially as herein shown, and for the purpose describe-d.

' 5. Inawindmnsical instrument constructed and adapted to be operated mechanically or manually, the combination, with the air-press. ure chamber K and escape-tube J, of the bellows valve or pallet L, provided withcomm u- 'nicating sup'ply'and exhaust passage L, substantially as herein shown and described ALONZQ DURKEE.

Witnesses:

, LLSTORER,

,G. SEDGWIGK. 

